Teach Me How to Fly
by FantasizingRealist
Summary: Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. And a long, long time ago, that's just what they were.   An angel-family fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** The only thing I own is the plotline. Characters belong to Kripke… who is a friggin _genius_ for making Supernatural.

* * *

><p><em>Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.<em>

_-Jane Howard_

* * *

><p><strong>Teach Me How to Fly<strong>

Contrary to popular belief, angels were all children once, though the correct terminology is actually a _fledgling_. Like all humans, each childhood was unique, different. But, as you probably already know, the only angels to ever see God were the four archangels, Michael, Lucifer, Raphael, and, of course, Gabriel. And so these angels were charged with raising the next generation of angels.

Gabriel, best known as the Messenger Archangel, was the very angel who helped Sam and Dean Winchester stop the Apocalypse. He is well known as Trickster or Loki. The one thing that isn't known about him is that he raised two other angels who were also notorious for helping the two hunters. One of which you know very well. His name is Castiel.

There were many times during the apocalypse and the next two years that Castiel had wished that he could be back in that time. He just wanted peace. And he had done terrible things to get it.

But that is the story you already know. This is the beginning. Way before mankind, or the Winchesters, or even before the fall of Lucifer. Back when it was just three brothers together.

**Chapter 1**

"Be still, brother. What are you anxious about?"

Gabriel snorted, earning him a glare from his eldest brother, "What am _I _anxious about?" he asked, pointing to himself for emphasis, "How about having a little twerp shackled to you for the next millennia?"

Michael looked upwards thoughtfully in a way that irked Gabriel to no end. "It is Father's will," he replied flatly.

Gabriel rolled his eyes in exasperation. Sure, he loved his Father, but this… this was way over his head. He turned back to retort, but Michael had already vanished. "Hmph," Gabriel huffed, "Dick." Throwing himself backwards, he flopped down on a cloud, just waiting for his new assignment to arrive.

* * *

><p>A muffled exclamation and a tiny <em>plop<em> alerted the archangel to the arrival of his tiny new brother.

Gabriel sighed, his wings ruffling in agitation. Dragging himself up, he turned to look at his brother square in the eye, opening his mouth to lay down some ground rules—basically, stay away from him at all times.

And his heart just melted.

Standing in front of him was a young, humanoid child with large, curious blue eyes set in a pale, rotund face. The angel was so small that if Gabriel wasn't looking down, he might not have seen him. The fledgling had dark, mussed up brown hair, and his wings were of the purest white, still not large enough to fly. His bottom lip was stuck out in an adorable pout. Still, he stood stock straight, wrapped in his snow-white robe, his pudgy feet just peeking out of the bottom. Gabriel's resolve simply vanished, leaving him staring at his brother with a newfound adoration.

The young fledgling muttered something inaudible, shuffling his feet. Kneeling down on one knee, Gabriel turned one ear towards the tiny angel.

"What was that?" he asked.

The fledgling rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Are you Gabriel, sir?" he asked, his eyes downcast in awe.

Gabriel laughed, "You got it, kiddo," he replied, "So you're the young, impressionable mind I get to corrupt, huh?"

His little brother looked up at him with those sky-blue eyes, cocking his head slightly in confusion, "I'm Castiel, sir," he said carefully, as if unsure of what to say.

The archangel laughed, clapping a hand on his little brother's shoulder. "Call me Gabriel, bro. I'm your brother, not your prison warden."

"Yes si—Gabriel," the fledgling answered, his eyes shining as he pronounced his older brother's name.

Gabriel ruffled the fledgling's hair. "Don't worry, bro. I'll get you having fun in no time." Castiel hesitated, as if not knowing what to do, then let a small, bashful smile show. Gabriel smiled back in encouragement.

"Let's meet the others. Come on, follow me," Gabriel said, spreading his wings and taking flight. He briefly wondered where he would find his other siblings, whether they had their fledglings yet, or— his thoughts were interrupted by tiny thuds. Looking down, he saw his newest brother give a pitiful jump, his wings flapping rapidly, keeping him in the air for a few seconds before giving out and depositing Castiel back on the ground with a muffled _thump._ Gabriel swooped back down gracefully to land beside his brother.

_Thump._ Castiel leapt back onto his feet and propelled himself back skyward, only to fall back down.

_Thump._ "Okay, okay," Gabriel said, laying a hand on the tiny angel's shoulder to stop him from trying again, "Don't hurt yourself there, kiddo."

Castiel lowered his eyes in shame, "I'm sorry, Gabriel," he said in a small voice.

Gabriel knelt down beside the fledgling, who looked as if he were on the verge of tears. "Don't sweat it, bro," he said, brushing off the apology, "No one could fly on the first try. Not even me."

Castiel's head snapped back up, his eyes as round as saucers, "Really?" he asked.

Gabriel chuckled. "Really," he repeated. The archangel turned around, offering his back to his little brother. "Climb aboard, kiddo," he called over his shoulder. He felt Castiel hesitate before clambering into the space between his wings, wrapping his small arms around his older brother's neck. Bracing himself, Gabriel shot upwards, feeling the air rush by his face. Castiel giggled cheerfully as they flew, making Gabriel grin.

"You like flying, huh kiddo?" he asked. Castiel simply nodded, still giggling a little. Gabriel grinned even wider, flying in loops and patterns, all thought of finding his other siblings forgotten.

* * *

><p>Gabriel touched the ground again, gently prying his little brother's arms from around his neck. Castiel's eyes were closed, the fledgling gently snoring as he slept. Gabriel laid him gently on the cloudbank before falling back on it himself. Maybe, he thought, it wouldn't be so bad to have a new little brother after all.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

So there you go. The first chapter of my new fanfiction. Just a cute little story about a family of angels. The POV will switch off about every chapter. The third angel in the family won't appear until the fifth or sixth chapter. Any guesses who it will be? Please leave me a review. They are much appreciated! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

Thanks to all of you for reviewing, adding to alerts, and favoriting this :) From how many hits I got, I really wasn't expecting much. You guys really helped me boost my confidence and get this in sooner :') You guys are awesome.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Supernatural. I do, however, own a purple ipod ;)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"Up and at em, bro,"

Castiel opened his mouth in a wide yawn, stretching his tiny wings as far as they would go, lazily opening his eyes. At first, he didn't understand what was going on. Where was he? Who was calling him? What was going on? All he could remember was the most exhilarating rush, laughing, getting tired….

Everything came rushing back. He looked up, seeing his brother's face grinning at him, amber eyes shining in the cheerfulness that always seemed to be around him. Gabriel radiated pure cosmic energy, and even Castiel, young as he was, could feel it. Despite that, he was always smirking, as if listening to one long, private joke only he could hear. He was reckless, carefree, light-hearted, and _very_ loud.

Castiel decided he liked his older brother.

That didn't, of course, mean that he was comfortable around him yet.

"How ya feelin', kiddo?" his brother asked.

"Good," Castiel replied, shifting a bit in nervousness.

Gabriel sighed. "Are you ready to talk to me in more than three words at a time today?" he asked, sounding a bit hopeful. Castiel shook his head, looking down at his feet. No, no he didn't want to talk in more than three words. He was perfectly fine with waiting until he was more comfortable with his new brother.

Castiel almost regretted the decision when he saw a hurt look cross Gabriel's face for a second, before it disappeared, being replaced by its usual knowing smirk.

"How about going for a fly then? Maybe meeting the rest of the family?" the archangel asked, "I'm warning you though, they're not nearly as handsome and charming as _we _are," he joked, winking one eye. Castiel giggled and nodded affirmative. The fledgling stretched his arms up to his brother, a signal to be let up onto his back. His brother took him by the hands and swung him over his shoulders, making sure that his hands were secured around his neck before spreading his wings and taking off.

Castiel felt the rush of air as his brother took off, tightening his hold around Gabriel's neck. Spreading his wings, he let the wind ruffle his feathers, smiling as the word rushed by. He closed his eyes, burying his face in his brother's golden-blonde hair. Underneath him, he could feel Gabriel chuckle. Castiel giggled as they went into a dizzying loop, feeling his body lift into the air as they dived back down. Flapping his impressive wings, Gabriel sped off, using his dive as added speed as he shot off into the distance.

* * *

><p>Castiel almost felt disappointed as Gabriel touched the ground, but he got off, anxious to meet the rest of his new siblings. Castiel decided to trail behind Gabriel, where he knew he was safe and secure. Keeping close to his older brother's long legs, he scurried along, trying to pretend that he wasn't nervous at all.<p>

"Gabriel," Castiel heard a smiling voice call to his brother, who stopped abruptly, causing Castiel to collide with his legs with a muffled "oof."

"Hey Luci," Gabriel replied easily, addressing whoever was beyond Castiel's view, since it was blocked by Gabriel's legs. Curious, Castiel began to debate whether or not to come out from hiding. He gripped Gabriel's pant legs, slowly peeking around them to look at the other archangel. Gabriel laid a comforting hand on the top of his head. Castiel looked up, catching his encouraging nod. He poked his entire head out of hiding, gazing around with wide eyes.

"Is that your fledgling?" a tall archangel asked. His voice was silky smooth, and he had vibrant green eyes set above an aristocratic nose. He leaned over Castiel. "What is your name, brother?" he asked kindly. Castiel ducked back behind Gabriel shyly, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Gabriel chuckled, craning his head to see Castiel burying his face in the back of his legs. Lifting his head up, Castiel peered up at him, hoping that he wouldn't see disappointment in his brother's eyes. To his delight and surprise, he only saw amusement and understanding. Castiel felt him ruffle his hair the way that he seemed to like to do, and he smiled a little at his big brother.

"Aw look, Lucifer, your face scared him," Gabriel said amicably, turning back to their other siblings, "And his name is Castiel."

"He's a quiet one, isn't he?" Lucifer asked, standing back up, "Maybe he'll rub off on you, Gabriel."

"Ouch," Gabriel said, laying a hand over his chest in mock hurt, "That one hit close to home, Luci."

The brothers laughed, then Lucifer stepped forward to embrace Gabriel, patting him sharply on the back. Castiel peeked back around Gabriel's legs, Gabriel's hand guiding him gently out into the open. He shuffled his feet nervously, managing a weak smile at his brown haired archangel. Gabriel knelt down next to him, one hand on his shoulder supporting him.

"This is Lucifer," Gabriel told him gently, nodding his head at the other archangel, "He's taught me everything I know." Castiel gathered his courage and nodded once at his newly introduced brother.

Lucifer smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. "Welcome to the family, Castiel," he said. The tall archangel straightened, smiling even brighter. "Michael," he said warmly, greeting a hazel eyed archangel, who held himself with an air of power beyond Castiel's imagination. The radiant archangel, Michael, nodded once to Castiel, who blushed furiously.

"Hello, little brother," Michael greeted, "Your other brothers and sister are flying over there. Do you want to join them?" he asked. Castiel looked up at Gabriel nervously, rubbing the back of his neck in response.

Gabriel squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. "Castiel can't fly yet," he replied gently.

"Weakness leads to downfall," admonished a deep, scathing voice. Castiel flinched at the words.

"Hello, Raphael," Gabriel said levelly.

A dark skinned angel with dark eyes appeared, looking at the fledgling as if assessing a slab of meat. Castiel shivered, huddling closer to Gabriel, who tightened his grip on his shoulder.

"You should not tolerate such weakness, Gabriel," Raphael continued in a monotone.

Castiel felt tears sting his eyes, threatening to make an appearance on his face. He swallowed them back. Raphael was right. Why couldn't he fly? What was wrong with him? Why was he so _weak_?

"That's enough, Raphael," Gabriel commanded, his voice forceful and strong. Castiel felt a tiny tug as he was scooped off the ground in his brother's arms, his face pressed into Gabriel's shoulder. "We're leaving."

The first tears fell as they took off.

"Shhh," Gabriel soothed, his hand stroking Castiel's hair softly. Castiel sobbed harder, gripping the front of Gabriel's shirt in his tiny fists. Silver tears made their way down his face, glinting in the soft light.

* * *

><p>They touched down back in their own little corner of Heaven. Castiel sniffled as Gabriel gently peeled his hands off of his shirt, settling him down on the soft clouds. Refusing to look in his brother's eyes, Castiel fixed his gaze on his feet.<p>

"Hey there, kiddo," Gabriel whispered gently, laying both hands on Castiel's shoulders. The fledgling sniffled in response.

"Raphael was wrong. Not being able to fly isn't a bad thing. In fact," the archangel said, ducking down to look his baby brother in the eye, "I bet you'll fly the fastest when your wings grow out."

Castiel turned his head away. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice shaky.

"Aw, come on kiddo," Gabriel said, craning his head around to look him in the eye again, "There's nothing to be sorry about." Castiel looked the other way. Gabriel gave him a little smile. "I know what'll make you feel better," he said. Castiel picked his head up in curiosity, watching with large eyes as his brother put one hand behind his back. He heard Gabriel snap his fingers, and then his older brother brought back out his hand, holding a strange object in it. Placing the object in Castiel's arms, he stepped back to let the fledgling observe the new thing.

The object was obviously a model of some sort of creature. It had a large, round torso attached to four appendages, two arms and two legs. Its head was spherical, with a lighter brown snout and black nose. Two shimmering black eyes peered at him from above the snout, and two circular ears were on the top of the head.

"What is it?" Castiel asked, cuddling the cushiony object to his chest.

"It's a teddy bear," Gabriel explained, stroking the bear's head, "Father gave it to me when I was a fledgling."

Castiel's eyes went as wide as saucers, looking up at his older brother. "Father gave this to you?" he asked, in complete awe. Why would Gabriel give up such a valuable object?

"Yep," Gabriel said proudly, "His name is Mr. Snuffles."

"You're giving it to me?" Castiel said, looking at the bear, which was half his size.

"You got it, kiddo," The archangel said, ruffling his hair, "Just take good care of him for me, okay?"

Castiel looked at the bear, then back at Gabriel. He hesitated, then threw himself forward, wrapping both arms around his big brother. "Thank you, Gabriel," he whispered, "I will." Long arms wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground.

"I finally got you to talk more, didn't I?" Gabriel asked, holding Castiel at arm's length. Castiel giggled, kicking his feet a little from his aerial position. He yawned, his hand tightening around the arm of his new teddy.

"Gonna go to sleep now, eh kiddo?" Gabriel asked. Nodding sleepily, Castiel allowed himself to be nestled into a nest of clouds, snuggling his new teddy bear to his chest.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **

This chapter made me want to glomp, cry, _and_ punch Raphael in the face. But I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Okay. I have a proposition. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Okay. So leave a review and put both a character and a prompt word/phrase. For every five reviews this chapter gets, I'll write a short one-shot based on one of the review prompt and characters. So REVIEW! (you'll also get an imaginary cookie :3)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Supernatural. If I did, Gabriel and Balthazar would have much bigger roles...

**A/N **

Sorry for the late update…. My friend accidentally broke my laptop, so I'm using my sister's. The one shot(s) will have to wait until one or two weeks from now, though. So, I'm eternally sorry to all of you, but here is the next chapter!

Also, thanks to all my regular reviewers! You guys never fail to make my day :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Gabriel sat back, watching his little brother hover in the air, trying so hard to soar upwards like all of their other siblings. His miniature wings beat the air frantically, but after a few seconds, he fell back down with a dull _thud_. He was certainly making progress, but he wasn't gonna fly anytime soon.

Gabriel's heart continued to break for the poor kid, who had placed his new teddy reverently on a tall cloudbank nearby. Gabriel decided to cheer him up. Getting up, he strode over to his little brother.

"Come on, kiddo," he said, scooping the fledgling out of the air.

The tiny angel pouted, "I'm never gonna be able to fly, Gabriel," he said, burying his head in the archangel's shoulder.

"Hey," Gabriel interjected, holding his little brother at arm's length, "don't say that. Why would Dad give you wings if you'd never fly, huh?" Castiel cocked his head to the side in thought, silent. "Exactly," Gabriel continued.

"Could you teach me?" Castiel asked hopefully, his big blue eyes pleading.

Gabriel shook his head, "Sorry, kiddo," he said, "Your wings are gonna have to grow a bit more before you can fly." His little brother looked down, lower lip trembling. Gabriel hugged the tiny angel close before swinging him onto his back, taking to the sky in a rush of wings.

* * *

><p>"Where are we going?" Castiel asked, raising his voice over the wind rushing by. Gabriel smiled, saying nothing.<p>

"Where are we going, Gabriel?" Castiel repeated, poking his neck insistently.

"I'm not telling," Gabriel replied, flying in a loop, making his brother giggle a little the way he always did, "it's a surprise."

"Hmph," Castiel harrumphed frustratedly. Gabriel just flew on, laughing quietly to himself.

Touching down gently, Gabriel let his little brother scramble off of his back. The fledgling looked around expectantly.

"Where are we?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Close your eyes," Gabriel countered, "no peeking."

Castiel squeezed his eyes shut, putting both hands over them. There was, of course, a tiny gap between one of his fingers. Gabriel quirked an eyebrow at him, then bent over and made a face at Castiel, who giggled.

"I knew it," Gabriel declared, straightening up, "you're good, kiddo, but not _that _good." Castiel gave a muffled sigh, closing the small gap in his fingers. Gabriel waited until he was positive that the fledgling wasn't peeking, then put a hand on his back, slowly leading him forward.

The clouds in this part of Heaven had a slight golden tinge, as opposed to the pure white ones that were everywhere else. Gabriel knew that his brother would love it here. Leading Castiel to the edge of the clouds, Gabriel took a deep, satisfied breath.

"Okay, kiddo, you can open your eyes now," the archangel said gently, ruffling Castiel's hair. The tiny angel slowly lowered his hands, peeking open one eye. In a moment, his eyes flew open in shock.

Gabriel surveyed the scene in front of them, "Beautiful, isn't it?" he said, looking down at Castiel, who nodded, "It's Dad's newest project."

Past the edge of the clouds, a mile below the two angels, a beautiful scene unfolded. A glistening blue river wound through a dense, green forest. Trees swayed silently in an unseen breeze, and golden light danced on the ground. Fruits and flowers of every kind hung delicately from bushes and trees.

"Can we go down there?" Castiel asked, his eyes wide with hope.

"I'll take you someday," Gabriel promised.

* * *

><p>The dirty blonde archangel watched as Castiel hopped carefully from cloud to could, tiny wings fluttering just enough to propel him from one to the other. Gabriel was really proud of his little brother. Where most probably would've given up, Castiel pushed past to the extent of his abilities, and Gabriel couldn't help but admire that about him. What really broke his heart, though, was the fact that even trying so hard, pushing his limits and the extent of his undersized wings, but he still couldn't fly like all the others.<p>

Looking on, Gabriel watched the fledgling kick the clouds forlornly, stirring up little wisps of puffy substance that floated delicately back down. Gabriel's tiny brother flopped down on the edge of the clouds, looking out onto the Earth.

Gabriel got up to comfort his little brother, but he suddenly felt a prickly feeling in the back of his neck, as if someone was watching him. Turning around, he saw a figure looking at his little brother. Amber eyes, dirty blonde hair…

Was he looking at _himself _?

Gabriel squinted at the figure, who was definitely a spitting image of himself. But there was something… off about it. Him. Whoever. The figure's—it couldn't _really _be him, could it?—head turned to look at him. He—whoever he was, smiled sadly, and then the image vanished, leaving Gabriel staring into empty space.

Turning back to watch Castiel, Gabriel shook his head, deciding that it was just a trick of the light. Or he was going crazy. Either way.

But when he looked back, the only thing he saw was a blur as his little brother fell.

* * *

><p>Gabriel didn't think, he just ran. He dove off the edge of the clouds, his brain shutting down, running on only instinct. He beat his wings faster, diving at incredible speed. The ground rushed up as he scooped his brother out of the air, flaring his wings and shooting back upwards, clutching the tiny angel close to him, his hold not wavering for an instant.<p>

"What were you thinking?" Gabriel yelled, after making sure that his little brother was deposited safely on the ground.

"I just wanted to fly," Castiel said quietly, shaking a little.

"So what if you can't?" Gabriel shouted, "Did you even think? What if I wasn't watching? What if you hit the ground? What if… What if…" Gabriel could barely breathe. The wind was obviously messing with his lungs. And making his eyes water. Because he didn't cry. Nope. Never.

Castiel looked up at him with wide eyes, suddenly throwing his arms around his legs and hugging him tight.

"Don't cry, Gabriel," he said, his voice muffled from where his face was pressed into the archangel's leg, "I'm sorry."

Gabriel stayed there shocked for a moment, then knelt down and picked up the little fledgling, cradling him close. "It's okay, kiddo," he said, deciding that maybe he was crying, just this once.

"Let's go home."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

Ok guys…. There it is. This chapter was so cute, it kinda made me want to cry. Like I said, my laptop is broken, but I'll still try to post again ASAP.

Please review! All reviewers get a hug from baby Cas! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I wish I owned Supernatural. Unfortunately, Castiel already took my soul, so I can't make a deal for it.

**A/N **

I'm gonna keep this short, since you probably are hungry for the next chapter. I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while, but my laptop was broken and I had marching band for 8 hours a day for the past week. So, without further ado, the next chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

"Gabriel…"

Castiel poked his big brother's face, harder this time.

"Gabriel…"

Castiel squealed with delight from where he was perched on Gabriel's chest as the archangel lazily opened one eye, looking at him with an excited expression.

The older angel sighed, sitting up, sending Castiel tumbling off onto the cloudbank with a muffled squeak.

"Wazzat?" the blonde archangel asked drowsily, peering around through half-lidded eyes. His long hair was mussed up and sticking out in every direction, and his clothes were rumpled from where he had slept.

"What're we gonna do today, Gabriel?" Castiel asked, practically bouncing in excitement.

Castiel heard his brother give a loud groan, suddenly being jerked back to lie on the clouds when the archangel flopped back down, taking him with.

"Not today, kiddo," Gabriel said, his face buried in the clouds, "it's a lazy day today."

Castiel cocked his head the best he could while he was pinned down by Gabriel's arm, "What's a 'lazy day?'" he asked.

The fledgling's elder brother turned his head to look at him, "It's when you do nothing and just rest and goof off," Castiel furrowed his brow. What was the purpose of such a day? Why would someone just do _nothing_? Gabriel smirked, "It'll catch on eventually," he replied to Castiel's confused expression, re-closing his eyes.

Castiel hooked his pudgy fingers around Gabriel's hand and _pushed_, struggling to get free, eyes scrunched up in determination. Letting go, he relaxed for an instant, catching Gabriel's smug smirk before renewing his efforts with increased fervor. Castiel huffed in exasperation as his brother remained lying down. Then slowly, a smile curved his tiny mouth as he fought to keep giggles in check. Reaching out cautiously with one finger, he prodded Gabriel in the ribs, forcing out a bark of laughter from the archangel, who instinctively drew his arms to protect his chest.

Leaping up triumphantly, Castiel grinned at his older brother, who looked at him with a menacingly mischievous smirk. Castiel's grin faded slowly, dimming and dying out as he realized that Gabriel was up to something.

"You got me that time, huh?" Gabriel asked, watching him with the same unnerving smirk plastered on his face. Castiel shuffled his feet nervously in response. Gabriel shook his head in mock solemnity, "you're messing with the original trickster here, kiddo," he warned, making the fledgling grow increasingly nervous. Castiel was debating whether or not it would be a good idea to run when Gabriel tackled him, tickling him mercilessly.

Castiel giggled, flailing his arms and legs in an attempt to push the archangel away, scattering little bits of cloud into the air, getting them caught in the two brothers' hair and clothing.

Tousling about for several more minutes, the two angels eventually lost all their energy, flopping down next to each other in exhausted cheerfulness.

"See there, kiddo?" Gabriel said, turning his head to face Castiel, "It's not so bad."

Castiel nodded in agreement, suddenly looking forward to this new kind of day. Gabriel sat up abruptly, rummaging through a pocket.

"Aha!" he declared triumphantly, finding whatever it was he was looking for. Castiel wasn't sure he wanted to know. The archangel held out a small brown, rectangular package with a filmy sort of wrapping. "Here," he said, smiling encouragingly, keeping a packet for himself. The archangel carefully, almost reverently, peeled off the wrapping, exposing a warm brown colored square. Mimicking his elder brother's actions, Castiel did the same, taking a tiny nibble of the substance inside.

Immediately, a warmth spread throughout his entire mouth, the strange brown substance coating his tongue with a decadent, sweet flavor. Castiel closed his eyes with a sigh of pleasure, marveling in the new sensation.

"Like it?" Gabriel asked with a small smile, interrupting the fledgling's thoughts. Castiel nodded enthusiastically, looking at the small rectangle with round eyes. "It's called chocolate," his older brother explained, "It's come a long way, and, strictly speaking, I shouldn't have given you any," he raised his eyebrows twice at his little brother, "You think you can keep a secret, kiddo?"

Castiel looked up and nodded eagerly, "I will, Gabriel! I promise!" he squeaked around his mouthful of chocolate. Finishing off his piece, Castiel greedily licked the smears of chocolate off of his fingertips, disappointed that his chocolate was now gone. He then looked forlornly at his hands, causing Gabriel to laugh, messing up his hair yet again.

"Hello, Gabriel." Castiel whipped around to find Michael, the archangel who was obviously the most powerful. By his side was a fledgling who looked as if she were older than Castiel. She was much taller than the tiny, blue eyed angel, and she had long red hair spilling down her back. Michael nodded once to Castiel, who blushed furiously.

"Castiel," he greeted warmly. The hazel eyed archangel turned to Gabriel seriously. "Father has a job for you, Gabriel," he stated.

Castiel turned to the blonde archangel, tilting his head in confusion, "Why does Father want to see you, Gabriel?" he asked.

The aforementioned archangel sighed, running a hand through his long honey-colored hair. He held up a finger to Michael, signaling him to wait, and knelt beside his little brother.

"You see," Gabriel started, "I'm kinda like Dad's messenger. It's my job. And sometimes, not often mind you, he calls me to send messages throughout time. Which means I'll be gone for a while. I won't be gone long. You should go with Michael."

Castiel was completely silent as the words settled in. "B-but," he stuttered, his lower lip trembling, "you're _leaving_?" he asked. How was he supposed to go and face his other siblings without his big brother to support him? Why would his brother leave him?

"Only for a little while," Gabriel reassured. The archangel looked around, his eyes lighting up as he found what he was looking for, "take your teddy, kiddo, he'll keep you company," he said, pressing the squishy brown bear into the fledgling's arms. Castiel cuddled the teddy close, sniffling a little. Gabriel leaned over and hugged him tight before standing up and taking off, disappearing out of sight in less than a second.

"Come, Castiel," Michael said, holding out a hand. Castiel took it shakily, smiling a little as the older fledgling leaned over and hugged him, smiling brightly.

"I'm Anna," she said, her eyes shining, "I'm your big sister."

* * *

><p>Castiel trudged along, dragging his feet through the clouds. Everything seemed so much bigger and colder without Gabriel beside him.<p>

"Castiel!"

The fledgling turned around to see all of the other fledglings hovering in the air.

"Come play with us!" Anna called, beckoning to him encouragingly.

"Come on, Anna," A squat, brown eyed angel scoffed, "Look at his wings. He can't fly yet. He's too weak."

Castiel's bottom lip began to tremble. Weak? That was the second time he heard it. And this time, Gabriel wasn't here to defend him. Looking down at his feet in shame, Castiel sniffled halfheartedly, pulling his teddy closer to his chest.

"Zachariah!" Anna exclaimed, aghast.

"It's true," The fledgling shrugged.

A dark skinned fledgling a little older than Castiel gently touched down next to the sniffling fledgling, "Well then let's play on the ground then," he said, patting Castiel on the shoulder, "Lucifer said that all our brothers and sisters are special."

Anna smiled brightly, "That's right Uriel!" she said, landing next to her brothers, "Michael said so too!"

Castiel smiled shyly at his siblings, still clutching his teddy close to him. Zachariah, realizing that no one was on his side on the subject, touched down as well.

Soon all four fledglings were laughing and running through the clouds. Even as he was playing, though, Castiel couldn't help but wonder when Gabriel would return and take him home.

* * *

><p>Castiel curled into a tighter ball, burying his face in his teddy bear. All the other fledglings were already sleeping, but the blue eyed angel couldn't do anything but cry. Hearing footsteps, he curled up even tighter, pretending that he wasn't there.<p>

It didn't really work.

"What's wrong, brother?" Lucifer asked gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. Michael looked on with concerned eyes. Castiel raised his head, sniffling.

"Gabriel said—Gabriel promised—" Castiel sobbed, "Gabriel promised he'd only be gone for a little b-b-bit."

Michael kneeled down to look Castiel in the eyes. "Gabriel will be back, Castiel," he insisted, "Be patient."

Castiel nodded, opening his mouth to respond when both brothers suddenly flew off, heeding some call only they could hear.

"Gabriel's coming back," Castiel whispered to his teddy, "Don't worry."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

I'm sorry! Like I said, I didn't have a laptop, and I had marching band, but I'm back now! I hope the length of this chapter made up for it!

Oh man, now I just wanna hug Little Cas until he stops crying…. Or send him some chocolate. And punch Zachariah in the face. I guess he was a dick even as a fledgling. Next chapter will tell what Gabriel's been up to! With an added surprise….. hehehhehehehe…. One shots may be postponed another week or two… sorry.

Once again, review if you liked it! And if you don't, still review! I like constructive criticism almost as much as compliments :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Supernatural. I'm pretty sure I would spend too much time gawking at Misha Collins to get any work done… And I would bring Gabriel back :)

**A/N **

Another update! Finally! I'm really sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long, but this chapter is extra long as a treat!

By the way, the first one-shot should be up soon. It will feature Lucifer and be titled "Simple." I've decided to just use everyone's suggestions, so stay tuned!

Thanks to all my frequent reviewers :) this is for you

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

First things first: Gabriel loved his Father. He was respectful and obedient to him all the time.

He just thought that sometimes, not all the time, his Father had poor judgment in people.

Gabriel knew that it was improbable for whoever those old people—by human standards, mind you, Gabriel was at least four thousand times their age—to have a child, but come on, how _probable_ was it for them to be traveling thousands of miles _in a desert_ and not die of thirst or starvation? And the lady had the gall to _laugh_ at him, and then try to _lie _about it? She was lucky Father had blessed her, or he might've smited her on the spot.

"Stupid humans," Gabriel grumbled, his wings ruffling in agitation. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his rumpled "to-do" list.

Gabriel briefly wondered how Castiel was doing. The little fledgling was so shy and dependent on him, he wasn't really sure how he would react to being with his other siblings. They better not have been making fun of him, Gabriel thought angrily, or he would make damn sure that _they_ would have trouble flying.

"None of that now," he muttered to himself, "Can't go back until I finish the list."

Focusing his attention back to his list, he crossed out "Become three men and tell Abraham and Sarah about baby" which he had noted in capital letters "NO SMITING." Tracing his finger down to the final item on his to-do list, he read, "Destroy Sodom and Gomorrah—SMITING ENCOURAGED, Finally," he breathed, "a fun job." He squinted. "Remember: In the form of two men—must warn Lot and family. Ugh, I hate fine print," Gabriel groaned. Spreading his wings, he closed his eyes and readied himself for the jump through time and space.

* * *

><p>This was not going to be very enjoyable at all.<p>

Not only was he constantly maintaining the illusion of a second him, that stupid, annoying little man Lot had pressured him into staying with him at his house. If that wasn't enough, all the men in the town were crowded around the house demanding to have their way with him!

"You sick sons of—I don't swing that way!" Gabriel hollered over the clamor. No wonder Father wanted this city destroyed. He could feel it. The lack of faith and the overwhelming stench of corruption and chaos. These people were really getting on his nerves. He was growing more and more anxious by the minute for his little fledgling brother. He had been gone for nearly a day now, and Gabriel wasn't sure how Castiel was doing. How had the tiny angel gotten on with out him?

It got to the point where he couldn't contain himself anymore. With a loud cry of rage, Gabriel unfurled his wings, unveiling them the tiniest bit. Every man outside the house, young or old, became blinded instantly by the sheer cosmic energy radiating off of him. Re-shielding his wings he turned to the troublesome man and his family.

"Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished," he urged. The man just stood there staring for an instant.

Gabriel was literally _this _close to wing-smacking him.

"Leave!" he boomed, his true voice enforcing his words.

The man jumped, then ushered his wife and daughters out the door, being careful not to alert the men of their escape. Gabriel looked at the mirage of himself he created, sitting down and laying his head in his hands.

"Now, we wait," he said to his false counterpart.

Hovering over the city of Sodom, Gabriel raised both hands up, one of them carrying one of Heavens prized weapons, a simple salt crystal. He raised his eyes to the dark, ominous clouds that had gathered, and began to chant a long spell in Enochian. The Earth and the sky began to shake in unison, throwing darkness over the land. A great wind began to blow, whipping around the condemned city in a giant column of sand.

Gabriel imagined what his little brother would do if he saw him now. He could practically see the tiny fledgling wrap his arms around his legs, burying his face in the back of his legs, whimpering quietly.

"It's okay, bro," Gabriel would say, ruffling his hair comfortingly, "These people were bad. They disobeyed. They blasphemed and murdered. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

The wind began to die down, rebellious sunlight peeking through the clouds in golden rays.

"Dammit," he swore, renewing his efforts. He watched in grim satisfaction as the wind picked up stronger than ever, the sunlight disappearing from view. He closed his eyes, feeling a giant bolt of lightning crack across the sky as the heavens opened, displaying all her fury. Burning sulfur and brimstone fell from the tear, whizzing past Gabriel faster than anything seen on Earth. The burning substance fell on the city, obliterating it instantly.

Gabriel snapped his fingers, dispelling the wind and the dark clouds in one single, fluid motion. He sighed in relief.

It was time to go home.

* * *

><p>Gabriel closed his eyes momentarily, breathing in the sweet, fresh air of Heaven. He staggered a bit, disorientated from the sudden time leap. His body was screaming at him to rest, but he clamped down on the urge immediately, shaking his head to relive some of the tension.<p>

Closing his eyes once more, Gabriel searched for the signature of Castiel's Grace. Locating him amongst the other fledglings, he spread his tired wings and took off, flying sluggishly towards his little brother.

It wasn't long before Gabriel began to droop, sinking lower and lower until he was skimming the clouds. Sinking too low, he tumbled out of the air, rolling a few times on the ground before climbing to his feet. He shook his head to clear away the dizziness before continuing to walk. Castiel couldn't be far. He craned his head, looking around to find his little brother.

A flash of color caught his attention, and he whipped around, only to find nothing but the clouds lazily undulating. He sighed, shaking his head. Turning back around, he walked on. Gabriel stopped suddenly, eyes fixed in front of him.

There, staring back at him, was… himself. Again. Gabriel squinted, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him. Once again, the figure was exactly like him, but somehow different in a way that he couldn't place. He took a step forward. Maybe this time it wouldn't disappear, maybe this time…

"Gabriel!"

Gabriel hardly had enough time to turn before he was bowled over, his arms full of excited fledgling as Castiel giggled and buried his face in his big brother's chest.

"You came back! You came back!" The fledgling's voice was muffled and distorted with pure, untamed joy. Gabriel's eyes softened, and he hugged his little brother affectionately.

"Of course I came back, kiddo," he said, swinging the tiny angel over to one arm, Castiel's pudgy arms still locked around his neck, though he was still clutching his teddy tightly with one hand, "You have fun?" he asked.

Castiel nodded. "I played with Uriel and Anna," he yawned, cutting himself off mid sentence.

Gabriel furrowed his brow at his baby brother. "Did you get any sleep at all?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. Castiel nestled his head in his shoulder in response. Gabriel chuckled.

"Let's go home then."

* * *

><p>Arranging his sleeping brother on a particularly soft cloudbank, Gabriel flopped down with a relieved sigh. His wings ached, his legs were tired… it had been an <em>extremely<em> long day. He was looking forward to a nice, long…

"Gabriel."

Gabriel looked up irritably at his eldest brother, "What?" he snapped, annoyed. Michael shifted the bundle in his arms delicately. Gabriel furrowed his brow at him

"You are needed in the Garden." The amber eyed archangel groaned, flopping back down on the cloudbank face first.

"No," he humphed, his voice muffled by the clouds.

Gabriel could _feel _Michael staring at him disapprovingly. Those intense hazel eyes were scorching his back.

_God_, he hated when he did that.

Gabriel turned to stare back at his brother, quirking up a tired eyebrow. "You just gonna stand there until I leave?" he asked.

Michael stood his ground, still staring at him in that extremely unnerving way.

Gabriel groaned, "_Fine,_" he said, lifting himself up carefully so as not to disturb the sleeping fledgling. He stumbled briefly, flaring his wings to steady himself. Righting himself, he turned to glare at Michael who, of course, had already disappeared.

"Dick," Gabriel muttered.

* * *

><p>The saplings in the Garden swayed in the slight breeze, their fragile looking buds trembling in the wind. They were beautiful in their youth, though. Their smooth curves and delicate features were perfectly sculpted and tended with a loving hand; their beauty foreshadowing their later magnificence.<p>

"Hello Gabriel," a young voice called. Turning around, Gabriel found the keeper of the Garden, Joshua, who was holding a small bundle in one arm. The younger angel smiled sagely, his wise eyes twinkling. Joshua was perhaps one of the most interesting angels Gabriel had ever met. He only looked to be in his mid teens, but his chestnut colored eyes shone with wisdom far beyond his age. Joshua was responsible for creating the Garden of Heaven. He was Father's appointed gardener, though he had never before lain eyes on Him. Joshua led a lonely life. He never left the Garden, never talked to anyone, save for Father and his siblings the few times they visited, yet he seemed content with taking care of his Garden.

"You really did well here," Gabriel said approvingly, nodding his head at the surrounding beauty.

"Thank you," Joshua said warmly. He looked reverently at the surroundings. "I built it to mirror Father's Garden on Earth."

Gabriel smiled at that. Father was, after all, the ultimate gardener.

"Father wanted me to pass on something to you," Joshua said seriously.

Gabriel shrugged, "I'm here," he replied.

Joshua handed him the small bundle, arranging it carefully in the crook of Gabriel's arm. "Balthazar," he said softly, laying a hand on the bundle.

"Balthazar?" Gabriel repeated, "What—" he looked up, only to find the whispering wind leaving him alone where he stood.

"Come on," Gabriel whined, "Is there something keeping everyone from giving me a clear answer?" he looked around, annoyed. Turning back to the bundle, he carefully peeled back the first layer of soft fabric, revealing a small infant fledgling. The miniscule angel blinked up at him with wide, electric blue eyes, showing brilliant little teeth in a cheerful smile. He had a head full of short, blonde hair that spiked in the front of his rotund face. Gabriel lifted him up to his face, holding him with both hands. He did his best to scowl at the cheeky little thing.

"You better not be a nuisance, got it?" Gabriel said in his best stern voice.

Balthazar gurgled happily, fluttering his stumpy little wings. He reached out with his chubby arms, patting Gabriel's face.

Gabriel chuckled, hoisting his new baby brother back into his arms. "You'll fit in just fine," he reassured him, unfolding his wings.

Flying back to where he had left Castiel, Gabriel sighed.

"I've become such a softie," he groaned. Balthazar giggled in his arms.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, kiddo," Gabriel called softly, gently shaking the sleeping fledgling.<p>

"Castiel," the archangel called again. The tiny angel yawned, stretching his wings.

"What?" he asked drowsily.

"I have a surprise for you," Gabriel said, smiling as Castiel's eyes snapped open.

"What is it?" the fledgling whispered excitedly.

"Hold out your hands," Gabriel replied. Castiel extended his pudgy little arms. Carefully, Gabriel lowered Balthazar into their brother's arms, rearranging him gently so that he was held correctly.

Castiel's eyes grew wide with awe as his new baby brother cooed happily, latching one hand onto one of his fingers.

"Gabriel, what is it?" he asked, turning his wide blue eyes to the archangel.

"That's Balthazar, our new brother," Gabriel answered, laying one hand on Castiel's narrow shoulder.

Balthazar grinned, "Za!" he confirmed.

Castiel smiled brightly, looking from his elder brother to his younger one. "I like him," he said finally.

Gabriel squeezed his shoulder affectionately. "Me too," he said warmly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

YAY! BALTHAZAR! Awwww the picture in my mind of little Cas holding Baby Balthazar is just too adorable to resist! Anyway, like I said, the one shot will be coming soon, so look for it! And the others will be posted after each new chapter I write.

I've gotten a few PMs about how old Cas and the others appear. Since I really haven't specified, I'll just tell you now. Cas is about four or five, Gabriel and the other archangels are mid-twenties, and Balthazar and the babies are around 1 year old. Joshua is around 15.

On another note, I changed the summary of the story. What do you guys think of it?

Anyway, please review! Gabriel will sacrifice some candy to anyone who reviews!

Gabriel: WHAT?

Me: Do it or I'll create a future with no chocolate. *smirks menacingly*

Gabriel: *hangs head in defeat*


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Supernatural_. Never have, never will. Although to write an episode and be present while it films is a highly unlikely dream of mine…

**A/N:** Ugh. I'm sorry that I haven't updated, but reality has kept me from doing much of anything besides eat, work, and sleep. Well, maybe less sleep… Which sucks to no end. Anywho, enough angst. Getting back to the chapter now.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

"No."

A soft whimper sounded, a tiny lower lip thrust out while dewy, round blue eyes pleaded silently. There was a slight hesitation, then a squaring of shoulders.

"No."

Dewy eyes turned wet, miniscule wings fluttering cutely—the angelic equivalent to begging. From somewhere behind Castiel, Gabriel chuckled.

Castiel looked forlornly at the remaining tiny square of chocolate, then back to his pleading younger brother. "This is the last piece though," he trailed off as his baby brother hit him with another wave of irresistible begging. With a furrowed brow and a large pout, he handed the last precious square of chocolate to the miniature angel, who grabbed it greedily and shoved it in his mouth.

Balthazar smiled brightly, electric blue eyes illuminating his entire face. "Cas-sie!" he beamed, leaning forward from his position on a raised cloudbank to pat Castiel on the face with a small, stumpy hand. Castiel did his best to keep his composure, but instead broke into a wide smile. He was a big brother! Just like Gabriel! Balthazar grinned back at him. To Castiel's horror, the miniscule angel leaned forward too far, tumbling off of the high cloud and rolling down and landing with a little "poof" in the clouds. Balthazar sat up as the little cloud bits rained down around him, giggling and trying to swat at them with his hands. Castiel breathed out a sigh of relief.

Balthazar raised two chubby arms to Castiel, "Up! Up!" he commanded, his little voice demanding. Castiel bent down and picked up his little brother, hoisting him into his arms. Balthazar cooed happily in response.

"And my name is Castiel."

Balthazar frowned. "Cas….sie…" he sounded, brow furrowed in concentration.

"No. Castiel. Cas-ti-el"

"Cas-sie!" Balthazar insisted, lower lip protruding.

"Castiel."

"Give it up, kiddo, he's not gonna call you anything different," Gabriel interjected between bites from an unusually large candy bar.

Castiel frowned, then stuck a tiny pink tongue out at his little brother, making Gabriel laugh hysterically. Balthazar copied him, scrunching up his small face and letting a sliver of his tongue peek through his lips. Castiel giggled, retracting his tongue as Balthazar looked at the pink thing protruding from his mouth in puzzled bewilderment.

Balthazar seemed to understand that Castiel was laughing at him, and he quickly pulled his tongue back in. The miniscule angel pouted at his older brother, tiny eyebrows furrowed with a small bottom lip poking out.

"Down! Down!" Balthazar demanded, kicking his chubby legs in impatience.

Castiel complied, carefully crouching to let his brother back down onto the ground. Balthazar gave him a withering look, turning his back to him, his tiny wings ruffled to look bigger and intimidating—which, of course was just adorable.

"Gab'rel!" Balthazar squeaked, arms outstretched to the archangel. Gabriel chuckled and scooped him up, only to deposit him back onto his raised cloudbank, ruffling his hair.

"No way, small fry," he laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling up, "I don't play favorites."

Castiel picked up his teddy, hugging it close. He glanced over at his little brother, feeling somewhat guilty. Maybe he could…

Castiel set his shoulders, climbing a bit unsteadily to his feet, teddy bear in hand. He glanced over at Gabriel, who smiled proudly in encouragement, giving him a little wink. The little fledgling padded over to his little brother, wordlessly holding out his beloved teddy to him.

Balthazar looked up in astonishment at his big brother, all thoughts of a grudge gone.

"You can play with him," Castiel said gently, placing the teddy bear—which was a little bit bigger than Balthazar—next to the miniature angel. Balthazar squealed, throwing his little arms around the large teddy. Castiel giggled, watching his little brother play with his favorite toy.

"Cassie! Cassie!" Balthazar squeaked, pressing a sloppy kiss to Castiel's cheek. Castiel jumped away, wiping at his cheek furiously. Gabriel laughed and ruffled the fledgling's hair. Castiel continued to watch his brother roll around happily, stirring up little cloud bits everywhere. The fledgling furrowed his brow as Balthazar turned his back towards them, showing his stumpy little wings.

"Look, Gabriel!" Castiel said, tugging on Gabriel's sleeve. He pointed at his baby brother—or more specifically, his wings. "Balthazar has smaller wings than me!"

Gabriel chuckled, putting an arm around the brown haired angel. "Don't worry, kiddo," he said, "small fry over there will grow out his wings, and so will you."

Castiel looked at his big brother dubiously. "Promise?" he asked.

Gabriel smirked. "I promise," he repeated.

Castiel smiled. Gabriel had promised, and that was good enough for him.

"And Castiel?" Gabriel asked. Castiel looked up in confusion. Gabriel never called him by his actual name, preferring to call him a nickname. He didn't entirely mind, but it was just odd that he had said his full name aloud. Gabriel squeezed his shoulder affectionately.

"I'm proud of you, kiddo."

Castiel beamed up at his older brother. Any day that Gabriel was happy was a good one. Gabriel snapped his fingers, winking at Castiel as he did. Immediately, the tiny angel felt a small _something_ appear in his hand. Holding his closed fist to his face with a furrowed brow, he slowly peeled back his fingers. The fledgling's wide blue eyes shot open.

Right there, in the palm of his hand, sat a perfect little square of chocolate. Castiel popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes as the warm taste of chocolate filled his mouth.

Definitely a good day.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

HAHAHAHA! An update! Take that, sleep! I've defeated you and created another Little-Cas-and-Baby-Balthazar filled chapter! WIN! (I'm sorry, I'm a bit crazy from lack of sleep) And By the way I've done my first one-shot request thanks to CANDYisEPIC. Don't worry, Elliej939 and Apollo199199, I will do your prompts as well.

Okay, I've had a million ideas running around in my head for another fanfiction…. And I want you're guys' opinion on what I do next! Drop me a review telling me A, B, or C. (don't worry, Teach Me How to Fly isn't done yet—far from it)

Right, so here we go:

**A)** A Blessing in Disguise- When a potent demon leaves the Winchesters de-aged—and teenaged—what can they do but ask for help? But when nosy neighbors and not-too-friendly faces threaten their cover, their biggest challenge yet is acting normal. With an angel as their guardian.

**B)**Unprepared, Off-Guard, and Completely Unexpected- Lisa is killed by a demon, leaving a 5 year old Ben to a father he has never seen before. Meanwhile, Dean faces his own issues with raising his new son as a hunter after his brother leaves for college and finding a family of his own. Pre-Season 1 AU.

**C)**…Not so Simple Anymore- Continuation of "Simple." Lucifer is human, Gabriel is alive, and the world is turning upside down. Join Gabriel as he teaches mankind's oldest enemy how to live among them. Hilarity and brotherly bonding ensues! Set between seasons 5 and 6.

As a sidenote, how many of you watched the season 7 premier and were extremely concerned? I'm not gonna list any spoilers, coz some people may not have seen it yet, but man! I mean seriously! Not expecting something like that…

Anyway, this has been a long and tedious authors note, so I apologize for that.

Please review! I'm pimping out baby Balthazar cuddles to reviewers! :)


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N **Hey guys… so I'm not dead. Just so you know… I'm just having a really tough time balancing reality and everything else. I know that's not really a good excuse, but I'd like to also say that I have an EXTREME case of writer's block. I swear, I have just about the next three chapters planned, but not this one.

This is probably one of the last chapters of pure fluff and setting up the relationships between our three angels. The next few have some actual plot! WHOA!

**Disclaimer** Ok, if you really don't know that I don't own Supernatural then I honestly don't know what to say…

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Balthazar was trapped in the insurmountable cage that imprisoned all living creatures, celestial or not, at one point or another.

He was bored.

And he wasn't mildly bored, or lazy. he was the kind of bored that sent most children climbing the walls or doing something extremely rash or dangerous. The worst thing was that Gab'rel and Cassie were still asleep, claiming something called a "lazy day" and Gab'rel had given him some sort of odd contraption to placate him.

Balthazar frowned at the little purple stick in his pudgy fingers. What was he to do with it? It was really nothing more than a stick complete with a loop at one end, some sort of clear film stretching across the opening. Experimentally, the fledgling stuck out a tiny pink tongue and gingerly probed the film, only to reel back in disgust, wiping his tongue vigorously with his other hand.

So it definitely wasn't a food item.

Trying a different method, he waved it up and down rapidly. Nothing. Hoisting himself on his unsteady feet, he drew his arm back and threw it as far as he could, watching as it caught the sun and flashed before hitting the ground a few feet away. Still nothing.

What _was _it?

The miniscule angel sat down with a pout, purposefully putting his back towards the infuriating little _thing_. He felt an irresistible pull, however, an invisible string that made him curiously look back over his shoulder, in the hopes that the thing had done something while his back was turned. _Still_ nothing.

The thing was calling to him, taunting him, _mocking him_ for Father's sake! It was sitting there serenely as if to laugh and revel in his ignorance.

Ruffling his wings in frustration, he finally got up and toddled over to the thing, picking it up to show it who was boss. Him. Yes.

He stuck out his tongue again, blowing air through his mouth so that his lips buzzed in a very satisfying manner that sent little droplets of spittle flying in all directions.

Wait.

Balthazar repeated the action, watching the film intently as it began to push outward with the force of his air. Experimentally, he retracted his tongue, puffing out his chubby cheeks and carefully shaping his mouth into a perfect "o." He blew all the air out of his lungs forcefully, forcing the film to break free of the contraption and form a sphere that floated upwards leisurely, then back down. he reached out a hand to touch it, coming into contact with it when it suddenly burst on impact, sending little sparkling drops raining back down on him.

Balthazar let his young, angelic features twist into a mischievous smile.

Blowing for a longer time through the magical little loop, Balthazar sent a stream of sparkling spheres spiraling into the air, floating back down lazily as the tiny fledgling ran about on unsteady legs in an attempt to catch just _one _of them. Soon his face broke into a cheerful grin, and he forgot everything else, giggling happily as he reached up to the mysterious floating orbs.

Soon, the little fledgling's legs grew tired, and he flopped down on the soft cloudbank, watching as the little floating spheres spiraled down around him. Out the corner of his eye, Balthazar saw his family, Gab'rel and Cassie, still sleeping. A light went off in his head. Balthazar smirked.

That smirk would someday become his signature, making ladies swoon and his elder brothers groan.

Tiptoeing as silently as his unsteady little legs could carry him, the fledgling clambered over the raised cloudbank where his brother's were sleeping, raising the purple stick to his lips as he positioned it correctly, his tiny pink tongue sticking out in concentration.

And he _blew_.

A mass of small, iridescent bubbles attacked Castiel's face, each bursting on impact.

Balthazar watched with glee as Cassie's nose scrunched up and he let out the loudest, most obnoxious sneeze that sent him flying backwards, shooting off the cloudbank and crashing to the ground with a muffled _thump._

Gabriel's eyes shot open at the sudden noise, and he sat up suddenly to the picture of Balthazar sitting innocently on the cloudbank, electric blue eyes glinting mischievously in a way that Gabriel had previously only seen in a reflection of himself. Behind him, Castiel sat in a dazed pile of feathers and limbs, squeaking indignant protest. Immediately, Gabriel felt a familiar buildup of tension begin in the back of his throat, an irresistible tickling that grew and grew and caused his eyes to tear up and his throat to constrict.

Gabriel let out a loud burst of laughter, unable to contain himself. Oh man, was it good to be alive.

* * *

><p>"Look! Look!" Castiel cried, pointing urgently to a pile of clouds, from which a frightful wailing erupted. Gabriel quickly scooped up a happily cooing Balthazar and shot over to where the brown-haired fledgling indicated, staring with a quirked eyebrow.<p>

The miniscule fledgling looked as if she could've been Balthazar's twin, save for her eyes were a shocking color of emerald green rather than an electric blue, and her golden hair cascaded to her shoulders in tiny ringlets.

Castiel immediately went into his "big-brother-protective-mode," and picked up the fledgling slightly awkwardly-both she and Balthazar were growing, and were already half his size-shushing her quietly and patting her lightly on the back the way he did whenever Balthazar had a fit. (Which, if any of you were wondering, was surprisingly not that often-Balthazar seemed to enjoy getting back at others with subtle revenge rather than throwing fits) Gabriel, in turn, went into his "protective" mode and gently pulled her from Castiel's grasp, studying her. He didn't think that he was going to be assigned a new fledgling. Closing his eyes in concentration, he found the signature of her Grace.

Gabriel hummed thoughtfully. "You're not one of mine, huh little one?" he asked curiously. The tiny angel looked back at him with dewy eyes, bottom lip stuck out, refusing to say anything.

"You're not marked as my charge," he said to himself. He looked around thoughtfully, scanning the air and the clouds around him. He hadn't noticed anyone come this way. Gently putting the little fledgling beside his two younger brothers, he gave them a distracted "Wait here," and let his wings fill up with air, taking off in search of the mystery angelette's lost guardian.

The emerald-eyed angel began to sniffle again, her button nose scrunching up as her shoulders began to quake. Balthazar toddled over and plopped down beside her, stirring up little wisps of cloud that floated around before nestling softly on top of the young fledglings.

"Who're you?" he asked curiously, a slight drawl to his speech, a sort of lilt that was both strange and utterly adorable at the same time.

"Who're you?" the angelette shot back, rubbing one eye with a fisted hand. Her voice held the same strange quality in Balthazar's. Castiel cocked his head in confusion, but kept listening.

"'M Balth'zar," Balthazar replied proudly, his wings fluffing up a tiny bit.  
>"'M Ez'rel," the female fledgling said softly, sniffing once.<br>"Thas Cassie," Balthazar pointed out, scooting a little closer to point out their older brother.  
>"Castiel," the brown-haired angel corrected with the voice of an exasperated parent.<p>

"Cassie," Balthazar repeated, "He's big bruddah. Gab'rel big bruddah too. He's wend away." Balthazar made a sort of shooing motion with a chubby hand.

Ezriel's face lit up in a beautiful smile, "I has big bruddah!" she exclaimed excitedly, tugging Balthazar's wingtip in enthusiasm, "He's Za… Zak-wi-ah. And Rafel!"

"Zachariah?" Castiel repeated, "Raphael?" he gulped. How could two as mean-spirited as those possibly raise a fledgling that was so much like his own little brother?

Ezriel nodded vigorously, her little golden ringlets bouncing around her face. "I loves them a whole lottas!" she declared, beaming.

Balthazar grinned back, "I loves my bruddas a whole lottas too!" Castiel smiled warmly at his little brother.

"You my bruddahs now?" Ezriel asked, her bright emerald eyes shining in barely restrained anticipation.

"I'm yous bruddah!" Balthazar squealed, throwing his tiny arms around the other fledgling. The two cooed at each other happily, wings fluttering a little in childish glee.

* * *

><p>"Don't cry," Castiel soothed the small angelette.<p>

Ezriel sniffled, "I wan go howme now," she sobbed.

Balthazar felt that he was normally above crying, but seeing his new sister sit there so miserably, with fat tears tracing lines down her face, he couldn't help but let out a little sniffle himself.

"Gabriel told us to stay here…" Castiel trailed off helplessly as more tears began to pool in the fledgling's eyes. "Oh…. Alright."

The change was instantaneous. Immediately, Ezriel's tears cleared and she smiled brightly, dragging herself to her feet and taking one of his fingers with her tiny hand. Balthazar grabbed a finger on the opposite hand, and the older fledgling was presently led away by his two mischievous younger siblings.

Of course, little legs get tire very easily, and soon, Balthazar began to become bored of walking on his unsteady legs.

"Up! Up, Cassie!" he demanded, stopping suddenly. He paused. "Please?" he added.

Castiel sighed in exasperation, stooping over to allow his baby brother to clamber onto his back, much in the way he often did when flying with Gabriel.

"Me too! Me too!" Ezriel giggled, holding up her small arms to Castiel, who scooped her up on his arms. She weighed surprisingly less than Balthazar.

Castiel trudged along, searching for the place where he last remembered seeing Raphael and Zachariah, when he, Gabriel, and Balthazar had been flying around aimlessly. Or, Gabriel flew while he and Balthazar more or less hung on and enjoyed the ride.

The fledglings on Castiel's back were getting _heavy_. He squared his narrow shoulders and pressed on, scanning the clouds surrounding them. Nothing. He turned his head to the left. Still nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Noth—

Wait.

Castiel heard a faint call, saw a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't much, but Castiel pushed on towards it, praying silently to Father that it was the archangel he was looking for.

"Ezriel!" a desperate voice called along the silent wind, a note of panic evident in it.

"Rafel! Rafel!" Ezriel shouted happily, squirming out of Castiel's grasp to toddle over to the sound of the archangel's voice. Castiel rushed over with a giggling Balthazar to catch up to the small angelette.

"Ezriel! Thank Father!" Raphael rushed over and scooped the fledgling off of the ground, cuddling her close as she tried to wrap her arms unsuccessfully wrap her stubby arms around his neck.

Castiel stood there in bewilderment. This was a Raphael that he had never seen before, one who was kind and caring, whose voice and eyes held a strange warmth, who was… not that much different than Gabriel. Raphael seemed to be a whole new angel.

Raphael glanced over his shoulder, still holding Ezriel as if she would disappear again if he let her go for an instant. "Zachariah!" he called, his voice still strangely warm, "I 've got her!"

In an instant, the stout angel appeared by his guardian's side, mouth twisted in a bright smile.

"I was starting to get worried about you, Ez," Zachariah said kindly, rubbing the fledgling's wings in affectionately. Once again, Castiel was stunned at the amazing power of the tiny angelette, who was currently burying her face in Raphael's shoulder with a contented noise as the archangel hastily babbled apologies for losing her.

"I didn't mean… We were flying and… I didn't realize… I dropped you… Oh thank Father you're okay… How did you get back here?"

Ezriel looked over at Castiel and Balthazar, then back at Raphael. "Cas'el and 'Zar founded me!" her eyes grew excited, "Are they bruddahs too Rafel? Huh?"

Raphael looked over at Castiel with grateful eyes, "Yes," he said gently to the little angelette, "Yes they are."

Raphael walked over to the two other fledglings with long, purposeful strides. Castiel adjusted Balthazar on his back nervously. Raphael kneeled to look the brown-haired fledgling in the eyes.

"Thank you," he said in his low, smooth voice, "It seems that I was... mistaken about you," he held out a hand to the fledgling, who blushed and took it, shaking it a little bit.

"S'okay," he said shakily.

Ezriel reached over Castiel's shoulder and poked Balthazar in the nose, giggling. Balthazar stuck a tongue out back at her, and the two snickered in the way of two beings who know something nobody else does.

"Raphael, did you—," Gabriel started, landing a few feet behind them. He furrowed his brow at his two charges, "Where did—oh," he said, noticing the angelette happily nestled in the crook of Raphael's arm. He smirked. "You're going soft, bro," he teased affectionately.

"Maybe I'm merely following in _your_ wingbeats, Gabriel," Raphael replied easily.

Gabriel picked up his two charges easily as Castiel yawned. "Maybe it's about time," he said gently, "See ya, bro," he said, saluting him with a smirk before taking off.

* * *

><p>"Are you mad?" Castiel asked sleepily as the trio of angels touched down softly, so as not to wake the already-snoring Balthazar.<p>

"Of course not, kiddo. Why in Heaven would I be mad?" Gabriel replied, gently prying the tiny angels off of his back.

"You told us to stay there. I disobeyed," Castiel replied simply.

Gabriel thought for a moment. "Maybe," he started, "Maybe it was worth it."

Castiel smiled sleepily as he drifted off, for the first time, feeling completely at peace with himself.

Gabriel shut his eyes as well. Wherever his little brothers had gotten their consciences and lovable personalities, he was certainly proud of them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

Another cute and cuddly chapter! If I'm feeling extremely generous, I'll try to post another by the end of the night.

Unfortunately, I probably won't be that active in November because of NaNoWriMo, which will take up a TON of my writing time. All aspiring writers should check it out!

Also, I _really really_ want to write a Thor/SPN crossover starring Loki and Gabriel. Any takers?

That being said, what did you think of Ezriel and Raphael's sudden change of heart? Any predictions? Oh, I _do_ love feedback! And baby Balthazar and Cas!

Please review! Because for every review, Balthazar blows more sneeze-inducing bubbles! YAY BUBBLES! :D


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**

So it turns out I lied :l I made a new chapter!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for… ACTUAL PLOT! WHOA!

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Beeeep. The author of this fanfiction has run out of ways to say that she does not own Supernatural. Please try again later….. El autor de este fanfiction se ha quedado sin formas de decir que ella no Supernatural propia. Por favor, inténtelo de nuevo más tarde. Beeeep.

(sorry if any of you speak Spanish. That was from Google Translate, so sorry if I got any words wrong…*grins sheepishly*)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Gabriel smiled sleepily as he felt a breeze stir the air and gently ruffle his feathers, golden sunlight prodding his closed eyelids. It was one of the few moments that were genuinely peaceful. He turned over carefully, so as not to disturb the tiny fledglings that were, of course, still snoozing beside him. The heavens were calm and warm and felt exactly the way home _should _feel. Even Castiel's usual quiet snoring was silent. Gabriel let the corner of his mouth turn upwards slightly.

He faltered.

Wait.

Gabriel slowly opened one eye to find his sleeping baby brothers beside him. Except they weren't. They were gone.

The golden haired archangel was up with one fluid motion, panic set in his stance, fear creeping its way into his heart. Surely it was a joke. A dream. Not real. He didn't lose them. They were around here somewhere...

Gabriel took a deep breath, trying to calm his frazzled nerves. Reaching out mentally, he searched for the celestial signature of his baby brothers' Grace. Nothing. Not a trace. Without a moment's hesitation, Gabriel spread his magnificent wings and took to the sky. He would find them.

He would tear down the Heavens if he needed to.

* * *

><p>"And that?"<p>

"Sure, kiddo. Whatever you want."

Beaming, Castiel eagerly plucked the bag of Jumbo marshmallows from the shelf and placed it in Gabriel's outstretched hands. Finally! They were finally big enough to come with Gabriel out of Heaven! It was overwhelming, to say the least. And loud. But so new and pleasantly confusing! Nearly everything the three angels walked by had Castiel tilting his head in puzzlement or Balthazar squealing with delight. He frowned slightly, smoothing at the strange clothing Gabriel had insisted on wearing—he supposed the oversized red hooded sweater _did _resemble his robe a little, but the scratchy blue pants and… strange foot coverings _can't_ really have been necessary. Gabriel was acting a bit strange, though, always holding on to Castiel's hand in a tight grip and carrying Balthazar in the crook of one arm.

"That! That!" the blonde fledgling shrieked excitedly, easily dispatching the his older brother's train of thought. Gabriel chuckled and turned to the bakery within the store.

"I'll have…. Three of those blueberry muffins please," he said, smirking as he handed the money over the counter. The woman behind the counter looked at the two fledglings, seeming like she was about ready to faint.

"Oh, they're so precious!" She burst out, smiling widely as she packed three of the largest muffins into a paper bag, "are they yours?"

"What, these guys?" Gabriel asker playfully, ruffling Castiel's hair (much to the fledgling's chagrin.) "They're just my baby brothers." Balthazar responded by unfisting a tiny hand from his purple T-shirt and waving at the woman cheerfully, sending a smirk rivaling Gabriel's in charm. The woman squealed and placed the bag on the counter, retreating to the back room.

Gabriel looked at the bag, then looked at his hand, which was enfolding Castiel's. A look of panic started to creep into the Archangel's features. Gabriel clutched Castiel's hand closer, bringing Balthazar tighter to his body, as if he lost contact with either of them, they would disappear forever. His eyes began to dart back and forth worriedly until Castiel darted forward and grabbed the bag. Gabriel looked at him with a look of utter and complete relief, and Castiel smiled back up at him.

* * *

><p>Gabriel shot back towards the clouds, the impact of his landing making them shiver violently, which, if one considers the nature of clouds, is not a very easy thing to do.<p>

The amber-eyed archangel was running out of options. He had overturned the Heavens, done some prodding in the Garden, much to Joshua's vexation, checked with Michael, flown as low over the Earth as he dared. His two baby brothers were nowhere to be found.

Lucifer and Raphael looked up sharply at the golden-haired archangel.

"Gabriel?" Lucifer started, shifting the younger fledgling in his arms as Uriel and Zachariah cavorted through the air nearby. Gabriel's favorite elder brother edged towards him with a wary look, "Is everything alright?" Gabriel felt the tension build up behind his eyes. The fledgling in Lucifer's arms looked at him with a confused expression worthy of Castiel, and little Ezriel just looked so much like Balthazar…

Raphael. It had to be him. Gabriel _knew _that his sudden change of heart wouldn't last long. He took his baby brothers.

Gabriel shook with barely controlled rage, bordering on madness.

"Gabriel?" Lucifer asked, concern written plainly across his face.

"What's going on?" Raphael asked, in an almost _too_ confused and worried way. Oh, so he _didn't _know, did he?

"Where are they you son of a—" Gabriel started, before launching himself forward.

* * *

><p>Balthazar giggled happily as he shot in the air, swinging his legs as he sat in the swing, going back and forth.<p>

"I gon high'r den you, Cassie!" he shrieked excitedly to his older brother beside him, who merely smiled in response. Gabriel chuckled and plucked the miniscule angel from the swing, holding a hand out to Castiel to grab.

"Hungry?" he asked the two brothers, who nodded eagerly.

With a wave of a hand, Gabriel set out a picnic on the dandelion-dotted grass next to the park, jumbo marshmallows, blueberry muffins, and chocolate seeming to be the main courses.

Best. Picnic. Ever.

….

Gabriel lay on the picnic blanket as night began to creep over the world, watching with a small smile on his face as Castiel and Balthazar played about. Castiel couldn't help but notice that this was the first time that day that Gabriel had let them out of arm's reach of him.

Balthazar and Castiel busied themselves picking armfuls of the golden-headed dandelions that grew in large patches around the grass.

"Look Gab'rel!" Balthazar declared proudly, the two fledglings presenting their big brother with showers of bright yellow dandelions. Gabriel looked at the large pile of wildflowers, and then back at the two fledglings, his expression that of a broken man, but then he shook his head and smiled at them, the same Gabriel they knew. He delicately picked up a golden dandelion, spinning the stem in between his thumb and forefinger.

"You know," he said seriously, "Father's creations are really special, and with just a _touch_ of celestial powers…" he nodded towards the dandelion in his hand.

The stem had begun to compress and change, spinning into a thin, delicate chain of gold. The two fledgling's stared in awe as their brother slowly spun the dandelion into a golden strand, only the head remaining. Carefully enfolding his hand around the golden flower, Gabriel closed his eyes. A ray of celestial light radiated from his fist, and he opened it to reveal a tiny golden pair of angel wings. Gabriel fastened the chain around Castiel's neck, the little fledgling marveling at the beautiful wings.

"Because someday, you'll be able to fly faster than any other angel," Gabriel said quietly.

"Me too! Me too!" Balthazar said excitedly, jumping up and down.

Gabriel ruffled the fledgling's blonde hair, "You too, small fry," he replied, picking up another dandelion and starting the process again.

An unfamiliar tug caused Castiel to look up. Across the field, across the street next to it, was a cozy looking house. Something in that house was calling to him, pulling him towards it. Casting a glance back at his brother, he decided he would be right back, and took off running towards the house.

* * *

><p>"Gabriel!" Lucifer grunted, restraining his flailing little brother, "What is wrong with you? You're scaring Aziraphale!" The blonde-haired, sea-green eyed fledgling he had been holding was currently sitting on a nearby cloudbank, sniffling.<p>

"Where are they?" Gabriel screamed at Raphael, who looked at him with a mixture of worry and bewilderment at their usually peaceful brother.

"I don't—" he started.

"Yes you do!" Gabriel shouted, "Castiel and Balthazar weren't there when I woke up! They would never wander of on their own; they must've been taken by someone they trust!" He struggled a little more.

"W-What?" Raphael stuttered, taken aback, "I assure you, I would never… I… I didn't!" he turned to Lucifer, dark eyes pleading.

"He's been with me the whole time, Gabriel! There's no way!" Lucifer told his brother.

Gabriel struggled harder, then suddenly went limp in his brother's iron grip.

"They're gone… can't… can't find them… missing… they're not old enough… dangerous… my fault…" Gabriel rambled, his eyes wild with panic.

"Gabriel!" Lucifer spun the younger archangel around to face him, shaking him violently, "Gabriel, they're not lost! We'll find them!"

Gabriel's mind hardly registered them. Where were they? What was going on? He shook off Lucifer and took to the sky without another word.

* * *

><p>Castiel looked up at the house, which looked so serene in the moonlight. There was something off about this picture, though, and Castiel couldn't quite place his finger on it.<p>

He shrugged, turning around.

A scream tore through the night as a window shattered, blood red flames streaming out into the night.

Castiel didn't hesitate, just opened the unlocked front door and ran inside.

…..

Gabriel looked up at the scream.

"Oh God," he cursed as he remembered what day it was, and where.

Lawrence, Kansas. Circa November 2, 1983.

Gabriel didn't wait another second, scooping up Balthazar and running for his little brother

…

There was something here that Castiel had to do, he was sure of it.

"Take your brother outside as fast as you can—don't look back!" he heard a man say.

What?

"_NOW_ DEAN! GO!"

A young child who looked only a little older than Balthazar staggered into Castiel's line of vision. The child looked about himself with wide hazel eyes, whimpering at the flames and clutching a small, blanket-wrapped bundle to his chest.

"What are you doing?" Castiel shouted over the sound of burning. The boy looked at him, frightened a little by the random stranger in his house.

Castiel reached forward, grabbing his arm and towing through the flame-filled hallways and out the door.

The boy, Dean, Castiel guessed, was shaking. Castiel awkwardly patted his head. When it came to his own brother, he knew exactly how to comfort. This foreign child, however, he didn't know at all.

"Dean, right?" he asked. The child nodded slightly.

"This is Sammy," the boy whispered, moving the blanket to expose the face of an infant, younger than even Balthazar when he had first arrived.

"My name is—"

"Castiel!"

The fledgling turned his head to see Gabriel with Balthazar, coming towards them.

"I have to leave," he told Dean seriously. The boy nodded.

Gabriel held a hand out for Castiel as the fledgling ran to him.

"It's time to go home now, kiddo," he said slowly, in an almost melancholy tone

Dean blinked for a second, and the strange boy and the people calling him disappeared.

* * *

><p>Gabriel flew back to their little corner of Heaven, exhausted and defeated. He would ask Father where his brothers were after he rested himself. His mind felt like it had short-circuited, his wings burned from overuse, his eyes were glassy and surprisingly dim. He was completely broken, nothing but a machine bent on one thing: finding his two little fledglings that had somehow come to mean the world to him.<p>

The golden-haired archangel went on red-alert as he noticed a stirring of the clouds. Diving forward, he pinned down his would-be assailant.

Castiel.

What?

"Gabriel, let me sleep," the fledgling groaned sleepily, turning over.

"Castiel?" Gabriel whispered. His head shot up, searching for Balthazar. Sure enough, there he was, only feet away, "Where have you two been?" he noticed a glimmer of gold hidden in the folds of Castiel's robe, "And what is this?" he asked, gently lifting a pure golden chain with an angel wing pendant from where it was ensconced in the celestial fabric.

"What're you talking about? You gave them to us. We were with you the whole time," Castiel remarked sleepily.

Gabriel took a step back, letting the fledgling drift back off to sleep. His mind reeled in a million different directions.

A slight rustle caught his attention.

Without thought, without hesitation, Gabriel launched himself at the disturbance, tackling the intruder to Heaven to the ground. Without looking back, he grabbed the offender's shoulder in a vice-like grip and towed him as far away from his little brothers as possible.

The pair hit the ground with earth-shattering force, and Gabriel growled as he whipped around, pinning the suicidal maniac who kidnapped his brothers to the ground.

Amber eyes widened in recognition, taking in a sight that was impossible to say the least.

"Hey there handsome," the golden haired man smirked from beneath his arm, "I was wondering if we'd get any alone time." The cocky smirk faded as Gabriel refused to budge. "Oh _come on,_" the man said again,

"You'd really only be hurting yourself."

* * *

><p>"Who the hell are you?" Gabriel spat at the mirror image of himself, his usual fun-loving persona far from his current countenance, all steel and barely contained explosives.<p>

"I'm you, of course," the doppelganger replied easily.

Gabriel reeled back, as if the carbon copy of himself was diseased.

"From the future, of course," the archangel continued, getting up to dust off his wings.

"What's wrong with my—our—your wings?" Gabriel demanded.

The archangel in question looked back at his wings, a dull, tarnished gray, with patches torn from it and feathers stuck up in all directions, to Gabriel's pure white ones, golden tips glimmering softly, feathers undulating in the breeze.

"It happens when you leave," Gabriel—himself—the other him (damn, this was getting _confusing_) replied.

"Leave?" Gabriel repeated.

The Gabriel doppelganger rolled his eyes, "What are you, a parrot? Yes, leave. Leave Heaven, moron. Good grief, I was sure I had more of a brain when I was your age."

"I would never leave!" Gabriel protested, "What about Castiel and Balthazar? I would never leave them!"

"Well, obviously you do," the other Gabriel, who Gabriel finally dubbed "other-self," remarked sarcastically, though his voice sounded a bit choked.

"I won't this time," Gabriel said firmly, "I'm not going to abandon my family."

"That's exactly what I said," Other-self said, shaking his head mournfully, "You can't change where this is going to end for you, Gabriel. It's your destiny. Things are going to go downhill from here. _Way_ down hill. And you?" he paused, "You're gonna end up running away. Gonna be one of the things you get really good at. Trust me, you're not gonna see me again. I just wanted some extra time with the kids." The archangel's amber eyes flashed, and Gabriel suddenly saw the soul of who he was going to be. Mangled and broken, hopeless, with barely enough spark to keep going. Suddenly, a tremendous wave a fear swept over Gabriel's heart. Fear for his baby brothers, fear for what was going to happen, fear of who he was going to become. He stood frozen in place, even as his other-self walked past him in slow, dragging steps, unwilling to leave.

"Hey."

Gabriel turned slowly, acknowledging the other archangel with only a wary incline of his head.

"I think that it's time to teach Castiel how to fly."

Gabriel nodded.

"He'll need to learn soon if you want him and Balthazar to survive into adulthood."

Gabriel wished he hadn't heard the last part. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but his other-self was gone.

Alone, and with fear and foreboding creeping into his soul, Gabriel turned his face up to where he knew Father was watching.

"Where are you in all this?" he asked, letting the fat, glistening tears roll down his face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

Oh my Chuck… I can't believe I just wrote that.

I don't know, I always thought that Gabe must've been really broken to just leave everything behind the way he did.

Anyway… please review. Reviews make Gabriel more happy, and who likes a depressed Trickster?


End file.
